Casa capitlului Bistrița în secolele XV–XVI. O interpretare a mărturiilor arhivistice
The Chapter House of Bistrița in the 15th and 16th Centuries: An Interpretation of Archival Records

Summary/Abstract: The chapter, or deanery, comprising several parishes, was an administrative and ecclesiastical unit within the Saxon communities of Transylvania. The assemblies of the Saxon chapters and the locations where they were held are a specific research topic in the study of institutional and ecclesiastical structures in medieval and early modern Transylvania. This article includes the results of a study on the history and functions of the Bistrița chapter house. Rather than providing an exhaustive account, it represents a preliminary phase of a broader study that will eventually incorporate additional case studies. Chronologically, the analysis spans from the earliest documented references to the building up to the end of the 16th century. While previous research has focused mainly on architectural aspects, this study adopts a perspective grounded in the examination of written sources preserved in relevant archival collections, particularly the Fond Capitlul Evanghelic C.A. Bistrița. This approach complements findings derived from the material study of the building and sheds light on the historical use of the chapter house, particularly its role in hosting assemblies.The methodology involved identifying primary sources—whether original documents orsixteenth-century copies—followed by their critical analysis and interpretation. The findings reveal that the chapter house primarily functioned as a venue for chapter assemblies and related activities.Moreover, the house also functioned as a repository for documents. The study highlights the functional complexity of the chapter house, and its central role for the parishes in the Bistrița district, contributing to the understanding of the spatial dimension of the Saxon ecclesiastical institutions.Expanding the analysis through comparative case studies could provide further insights into the broader context of Saxon ecclesiastical practices in Transylvania.

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